MANCHOW SOUP
Manchow Soup is a popular slightly spicy,tangy soup from the Indo Chinese cuisine. Full of vegetables, the soup is usually topped with deep fried noodles. The soup appears a bit darkish as a generous amount of soy sauce is used and some tomato ketchup too.
Ingredients
FOR THE DEEP FRIED NOODLES
- 150-200 g instant noodle packet
- 5 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup oil
FOR THE MANCHOW SOUP
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped pr minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- 1 stalk spring onion
- 2-3 stalks fresh coriander
- ¼ cup carrot finely chopped
- ¼ cup bell pepper any colour finely chopped
- ¼ cup green beans finely chopped
- ¼ cup mushrooms, optional finely chopped
- ½ cup cabbage shredded
- ½ cup cauliflower finely chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce dark
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup or sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powder coarsely ground
Instructions
PREPARE THE NOODLES
- Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil.
- Add ½ tsp salt. Add the noodles to the boiling water.
- Cook as per the instructions on the packet.
- I boiled mine for 3 minutes. Remember you don't want mushy noodles. Should be al dente.
- Keep a colander ready over a big bowl.
- Drain the noodles through the colander.
- The water will trickle down to the bowl underneath.
- Immediately run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking process.
- Pat dry the noodles on a kitchen towel completely.
- Spread the noodles out on a tray or large plate.
- Let it dry for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of cornstarch and gently mix with the noodles to coat them.
- Allow the noodles to rest further for 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare all the vegetables for the soup.
PREP THE VEGGIES
- Peel and chop the onion finely.
- Peel and chop the carrot finely.
- Chop the cauliflower, bell pepper, green beans, mushrooms finely.
- Grate or shred the cabbage.
- Chop the spring onion, keeping the white and green part separate.
- Finely chop the coriander stalks. Keep it on the side till required.
- Chop the coriander leaves roughly.
- Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2-3 tbsp of water and keep it on the side.
- Mix soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar.
DEEP FRY THE NOODLES
- Heat about 1 cup oil in a wok or deep saucepan.
- Add a tiny piece of noodle. If it comes up immediately then the oil is hot enough to fry the noodles.
- Add the noodles and deep fry till the turn light golden in colour.
- Remember to keep of flipping the noodles occasionally so that they brown evenly.
- If you have taken a small vessel then cook the noodles in 2 batches. The oil will froth up immediately because of the cornstarch. So take a deep vessel.
- Keep the fried noodles on a kitchen towel so the excess oil is absorbed.
PREPARATION OF THE SOUP
- Heat both the oils in a saucepan over medium heat.
- When the oils become hot, add the chopped onion.
- Add the white part of the spring onion too.
- Stir fry till it becomes a bit soft.
- Add the garlic, stir fry for a minute.
- Add the chopped coriander stalks, ginger and green chilli paste or slices. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the rest of the chopped vegetables.
- Stir fry on high for 2 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and 4 cups of the water in which the noodles were boiled.
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- While stirring the soup, add the cornstarch slurry.
- Mix well. Lower the heat and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
- Don't boil too much as the vegetables should remain crunchy and not over cooked.
- Ladle soup into 4 serving bowls.
- Top it with the deep fried noodles.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and the green part of the spring onion.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Add vegetables of your choice. But make sure you chop them finely.
- Don't over cook the vegetables. They such remain a bit raw or crunchy.
- Adjust the chillis and chilli sauce according to your taste.
- Be careful when you add salt. Soy sauce contains salt.
- Can use readymade deep fried noodles.